The Girl I love
by Georgy-Girl
Summary: As requested, a sequel to Can't Buy Me Love- A period of calm before the storm leads Dennis to believe he can relax, but when he does...
1. Chapter 1

Since Dennis had risen at 5am that morning he hadn't had a sit down and he was determined to enjoy his first one. He sank slowly into the armchair by the fire then rested back. A happy sigh escaped his lips, but as he shut his eyes the front door slammed loudly.

"Uncle Dennis! Are you home?!"

Dennis kept his eyes shut, hoping that somehow his nephew would not investigate but leave when he heard nothing. No such luck, as the boy rushed into the room and jarred Dennis in the chair as he sat on its arm.

"We're going camping for a school trip next week, but we need to bring our tents and I don't have one. I asked mum but she said we can't afford one, then I saw Aunty Jenny on the way here and she said you might have one."

Dennis let out a long, exhausted sigh before finally opening his eyes. "I probably do somewhere."

Thomas grinned at his Uncle and jumped to his feet. "Can we go and find it now? It might need repairing, like my friend Peter's did. He has a proper kit to fix it and everything. Do you ha-"

Dennis rubbed his temples as the boy talked, then finally interrupted him to snap, "Thomas! I've had a very long, very tiring day at work and right now I would like some peace and quiet!"

Thomas stared at his uncle. He'd seen him yell at others before, but he'd never before yelled at Thomas. The boy thought they were as close to best friends as any two friends could be.

Dennis regretted his tone as soon as he'd spoken, but before he could apologise, Thomas rushed from the house and almost toppled Jenny in the process as she walked into the hallway.

"I hate him!" Thomas yelled as he raced towards his own house, now only a street away.

Puzzled, Jenny watched him until the boy was out of sight before walking inside.

"What was that all about?"

Dennis had shifted forward in his seat and now had his head in his hands. "Why the hell is everyone suddenly home so early? Can't a man get a bit of rest in his own home?!"

As Thomas had been, Jenny was silent for a few seconds, but she'd seen Phil earlier and he'd described, in a little too much detail, what had happened to her husband that day, so instead of snapping in return she simply gave a nod. "Sorry."

Dennis turned his head to glance at her, almost but not quite apologetically, and asked, "Have we got anything for a headache?"

"I'll get you something." Jenny slipped from the room.

…

"Where is he? Why does he think he has the right to speak to my son that way?!"

Jenny opened the door half an hour later to be confronted by an angry Alison who tried to push past her into the hall.

"Can you talk to him about it later, please? He's-"

"I don't care if he's busy working. So was I when my son ran in and burst into tears saying he wants to move away because his Uncle hates him."

"Alison, I really don't think now is the time to talk to him about it. I'm sure he's very sorry and he will come over later to apologise, but-"

Alison finally managed to get past Jenny and now stared at her incredulously. "Apologise?! I don't want an apology from him, I want an explanation for his behaviour! He can't play friends with his nephew one minute and then decide to take something out on him the next!"

Jenny rushed to stand in front of the closed door that separated Alison from a hopefully sleeping Dennis. "Look, I think everyone is a little worked up right now and you might say things you regret, so perhaps it would be better to leave it for a while?"

"He's asked you to say that, has he?" Alison folded her arms and glared at Jenny.

As the blonde went to reply, the door behind her opened.

Dennis walked out, ignoring his sister to mumble something to Jenny before he walked towards the door, but Alison barred his way.

"If you're going to try and ignore me you can think again!"

Jenny stepped anxiously forward and put a hand on Alison's arm. "Please don't. Not today."

Alison shrugged her off, eyes focused on her brother. "Why not? He can't behave like that and expect to get away with it! Wh-"

Dennis turned sharply towards her and gripped her hand tightly to pull it off his jacket. "I came home for some peace and quiet, not to be cross questioned. If your son can't take no for an answer, that's not my fault. Do you know what I've been doing today? Have you even bothered to think or did you just storm over here to have a go at me?"

"Oh, what happened to you today? Did some sheep get out, did you step in horse muck? NOTHING could excuse you for speaking to him that way, you know how highly he thinks of you!"

Jenny looked down and flinched as she saw Dennis take a deep breath before replying in a low voice. "What I've been doing today is investigating the death of a young girl who no one cared about. She was neglected, barely fed and when she died she had 5 old broken bones. In between discovering her body myself where it was left in a ditch and trying to find her parents, I visited my own daughter in hospital. Is there anything else you want to know?"

Alison lowered her head and remained silent.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the hospital."

Alison remained quiet long after the front door slammed, but eventually turned to look at Jenny. "Jen-"

"Don't."


	2. Chapter 2

** _Forgot to mention, the title is a song by Matt Monro called 'The Girl I love', and it was playing when Dennis walked to Jenny's house for a cup of coffee early on in their relationship (can't actually remember episode, but it was a few episodes into series 12)**_

 _..._

Dennis marched into the hospital and snapped something at the receptionist who tried to halt him. Seeing his daughter's doctor about to leave, Dennis jogged towards him. "Doctor Jacobs."

The doctor turned around with a sigh, hoping he wouldn't be kept from his dinner. "Ah, Sergeant Merton."

"How is she?" Dennis spoke breathlessly.

"You haven't spoken to your wife?"

Dennis remembered guiltily the happy look on Jenny's face when she'd first entered the house earlier. "…No, not since this morning."

Doctor Jacobs nodded and lead Dennis towards the new maternity unit. "She's doing a lot better. Your wife was able to hold her this afternoon and she is keeping the nurses on their toes with all the noise she's making."

Dennis smiled, his shoulders relaxing as he looked down at his small daughter in her crib.

…

Jenny was sick through-out her pregnancy and stopped working at 4 months, but stuck at home she began to grown bored and first set about changing the house around, then focussed her discontent on Dennis. She wanted to know exactly when he'd be home, and she called him too often at work. Knowing she was bored, he'd let it go at first and tried to give her more things to do, but then he began to grow annoyed. While he understood why she was doing it, he began staying out later. One night, when Jenny still had 2 months to go, he'd been at the pub talking to a woman he knew Jenny disliked. When the lady had begged him to stay for one last drink he had agreed, and barely a second later Liz arrived to tell him Jenny had been taken to hospital.

Dennis was heavy with guilt as the doctors told him how ill she was, and how bad she must have been feeling the last few days. He felt 100 times worse when the doctor had asked him, if it came down to it, should he save Dennis' child or his wife.

…

When the doctor left, Dennis sat and watched the baby. He'd taken to coming here after work every day just to talk to her, and normally she was fast asleep but today she watched him with big blue eyes.

As Dennis watched her, he felt a now familiar guilt fall over him, remembering his own words to the doctor. '...My wife."

…

Hoping Dennis had had enough time alone with their daughter, Jenny arrived an hour later and a nurse caught her arm. "Look in the window."

She pulled Jenny towards the maternity unit, and then pointed triumphantly into the room. Dennis was holding the girl in his arms and was pacing the room slowly as he spoke to her. "She started crying about half an hour ago, so we said he could pick her up, and now every time he puts her down she starts crying again."

Jenny gave a gentle smile and watched for a little while longer before she turned the door handle to walk in.

Dennis looked up with tears shining in his eyes and a smile on his face. Jenny smiled back and approached them.

When the nurse glanced into the room a short while later to find them still standing, heads bent and touching as they smiled down at their daughter.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days later, Jenny approached the police station and was about to enter when she noticed Thomas sitting huddled up beside a police car. "Thomas! What are you doing here?"

When he gave no reply, she sat on the step next to him, pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders. "Are you here to see your uncle?"

Thomas nodded, glancing up at her before looking back down at the ground. "The teacher said we have to tell her if we can go camping, so I need to ask about the tent again, but I'm scared."

Jenny reached out and pushed back his hood so she could see him better. "How about I come in with you, and if he's mean to you again, we will kick him in the shins, then run away and go and buy a tent?"

Thomas smiled at this and nodded.

…

"Afternoon, Alf! Is Dennis in?" Jenny leant on the counter.

Alf looked up from his sandwich and gave a smile then began to brush the crumbs off his jacket, but just as he went to reply, Dennis walked into the office with a smile.

"He is. Is there something I can help you with, Mrs Merton?"

"Would you mind coming outside for a moment, Sergeant?"

Dennis frowned but gave a nod and followed her out. He was about to ask her what was going on when he noticed Thomas by the side of the car.

"Shouldn't you be at school, Thomas?"

Thomas' head shot up to look at Jenny. "See, I told you!"

Jenny gave a sigh. She'd come here to give her husband some good news, not get caught up in an argument again. "Can you please just listen to him, Dennis, and when he's finished I will take him back to school."

Dennis glanced at her before sitting on the step she'd used next to Thomas.

The boy took a deep breath, then looked down at the ground again as he mumbled, "I'm sorry about the other day, I was just excited because I've never been camping and I really wanted to go. "

"Aye, and I shouldn't have been so rude to you, but I hadn't had a very good day."

Thomas glanced at Jenny again, then held out a hand for Dennis to shake. "Friends?"

Dennis took the offered hand. "Best friends."

This made Thomas grin widely and Dennis was almost knocked from the step with the force of the hug Thomas threw at him. "Can we go and find the tent now? My teacher said-"

"Thomas." Jenny spoke in a warning tone, and he glanced at her again before moving back a little.

"Do you think maybe tonight, after you finish work, we could look for the tent? My teacher said we need to tell her by tomorrow if we can go."

"You come over right after you've had your supper, and if we can't find it I will buy you a new one."

…

When Thomas had run off like a boy on fire to get back to school before lunch finished, Dennis turned to Jenny. "Were you coming to see me as well?"

Jenny nodded and bit her lip to suppress her grin, but as she went to tell him her news, Alf pushed his head out of the door. "Sarge, Phil on the radio for you, it's urgent."

Before Dennis could apologise, Jenny pushed the note she'd received from the doctor that morning into his pocket and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight."

…

It was almost three hours later when Dennis remembered the note. When he pulled it out to read, a grin slowly began spreading over his face. Another week, then his daughter could come home.

He'd barely finished reading the letter before he was on his feet, rushing out with a smile to tell his men.


	4. Chapter 4

PART 1

When Jenny arrived home that evening from the hospital, she could hear yelling coming from inside. She stayed outside for a short while, but as it continued she realised she would have to go in and make the peace. Again.

Pushing open the door, she was almost knocked over once more by her nephew, but this time he had a grin in his face, a makeshift sword and what looked like a bed sheet tied around his shoulders.

"What-"

"Sh! I'm hiding from the evil pirate!" He rushed from the room and left a slightly shocked Jenny in his wake, but the shock turned into amusement when she saw Dennis walk into the room wearing a pirate hat and an eye patch.

"Don't ask."

Jenny watched him disappear after Thomas and was wondering what was happening in her home when Alison appeared.

"Not you too? What is going on in here?!"

Alison smiled and pulled off the green wig she was wearing before sitting gratefully at the table. "When they were looking for the tent Thomas found a box of costumes someone had left in the shed, and when I walked in to pick him up Dennis apparently kidnapped me and Thomas has been trying to save me ever since."

"…I can't say that dressing up is something I ever expected Dennis to do."

"Apparently Thomas told him he's being bullied at school and had been too worried to tell him because Dennis' temper has been so quick lately. I think Dennis is trying to make it up to him."

Jenny caught a vase that Thomas knocked as he ran once more through the house. "Well if either of them break anything they'd better replace it!"

…

That night as they lay in bed, Dennis had just put the bedside lamp out when Jenny spoke.

"Dennis?"

"Mmm?"

"…You looked quite dishy as a pirate."

In the dark, Dennis smiled before turning to kiss her. "Thank you. Though if what happened here today ever got out, my reputation would be ruined."

"I'm not sure anyone would believe me."

"Unless they were in the surgery this afternoon."

Jenny gave a soft laugh and kissed him back. "When you rushed in I thought Joyce Jowett was going to have a heart attack, I've never seen someone go so red!"

"Aye, I think perhaps I should have calmed down a bit before coming in."

Jenny pulled Dennis' head back to her and captured his lips again. "Nonsense. I liked it, and that's all the matters."

…...

PART 2

Dennis decided to take 2 weeks off to spend time with Sarah when she first came home, but the phone began ringing about 5 minutes after they got home then once an hour ever since.

Dennis sighed as he listened to Alf, a kettle in his hand. "Look, Ventress! If you can't find something look for it! I don't care if you have to mess up my desk, because I don't know where every piece of paper is in the whole station! Like I've told you all week, only call me if you have a REAL problem."

Dennis hung up the phone with a slam, then flinched as the baby began crying. A moment later Jenny entered the room was a smile and took the kettle from him. "That was definitely your fault, so you can try and get her back to sleep this time."

…

Dennis entered the nursery and gently picked his daughter up. As had happened every time he picked her up, she stopped crying, but he now knew from experience that as soon as he put her down she would start again. He walked over to the rocking chair by the window and sat down with her instead. "You've been awake almost all day, you know. You should get some sleep before more people start descending on you to tell you how cute you are and pinch your cheeks."

As he spoke, her eyelids began to grow heavy, and by the time the kettle had boiled downstairs, she was fast asleep in her cot once more.

...

Jenny glanced up when Dennis walked in. "That was quick."

"Apparently I've got quite the knack." He took the offered cup of tea. "Or at least a lot of experience with those who need babying." He nodded his head towards the phone as he took a sip.

"I told you wanting two weeks of peace and quiet was asking too much." Jenny kissed his cheek then led Dennis through to the front room.

"Ventress called me to ask where a form would be. How should I know, he's the one who does the filing." Dennis sat next to Jenny and kissed her shoulder as she rested back against him.

They'd only been sat for a few minutes when the knocking on the front door began and upstairs, Sarah cried out.

Jenny gave a sigh, and then stood. "This time I'm taking Sarah."

"Don't leave me to socialise again, Jen. Jenny!" He called after her as she disappeared upstairs with a smile on her face.

He didn't mind talking about his daughter, or showing her off, but he was tired of the small talk, the offers of cream cakes, the frowns when he refused to eat any, and the knowing looks at one another when Dennis refused to make tea for them. Everyone seemed to think he was an unsociable man who should be placated. As he stood to answer the door, he realised that belief was probably his own fault.

"Mrs Ventress! How lovely to see you. Come in."


	5. Chapter 5

_So glad you guys are enjoying this. I'm trying to add a bit more humour to the character because while there were hints to his funny side in the show, he was more often serious._

 _Please PM me or review if you want me to write anything particular into this story or another xx_

...

When word got round that Dennis' daughter had mellowed the sergeant, he was dismayed to find that it meant even more people visiting and now expected more from him than the occasional mumble from his armchair. By the end of Sarah's first week at home, her parents were exhausted from visitors rather than their daughter.

Dennis dropped a kiss to a sleeping Jenny's forehead and covered her with a blanket before he walked to sit in his armchair by the fire. He had just shut his eyes when the phone rang and was momentarily thankful that Sarah had stopped waking every time they received a call.

"Merton."

"Dennis? Can you come over, please? Thomas says a man spoke to him on the way home, asking him questions, and I think it might have been Jack. I don't know what to do!"

Dennis sighed and glanced through to where Jenny slept. Alison thought Jack had returned at least once a month since she'd arrived, and the sergeant was reluctant to leave Jenny who'd spent most of the day at the hospital for tests on both herself and Sarah.

"…Perhaps you and Thomas could come over for your supper? Only I-"

Alison agreeing cut him off, and they arrived less than 5 minutes later. Dennis ushered them into the kitchen and shut the door gently on the lounge room.

He watched for a moment as Alison busied herself making something to eat, glad to have something to do, before he sat down opposite Thomas. "I hear a gentleman was asking you questions on the way home?"

Thomas nodded, "Can I see Sarah?"

"Not just now, she's asleep. What exactly did this man ask you?"

"Just about where I lived and where mum works. Like you said, I didn't tell him anything, but then he said he was off to see Aunty Jenny at the doctor's, so I thought I'd better tell him she wasn't working there at the moment because she'd just had a baby."

When Dennis sighed and shared a look with Alison, Thomas frowned. "Did I do the wrong thing?"

"No, lad. Is this your homework? I was never very good at maths."

"Really? I'm very good at it, my teacher says. I'll show you how to do it."

…

Jenny woke two hours later in a darkened room and gave a wide yawn. She could hear Dennis talking to Alison in the other room, and knew from experience that when Alison came over in the evening, she normally stayed the night. Standing, Jenny stretched and walked towards the window to shut the curtains, hoping Alison, as she'd taken to doing recently, had taken it upon herself to prepare something to eat.

…

Thomas was in the middle of explaining a complicated math question when a scream arose from the lounge.

Dennis rushed in, closely followed by Alison, and found Jenny backing away from the window. "There was someone looking in!"

Dennis walked round her to look out the window with a frown but saw only darkness. "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, Dennis! He had a big bushy beard and he was grinning."

Woken by her mother, upstairs Sarah replied with a loud scream as Dennis pulled the curtains shut. "I'll go out and look. Lock the front door after me and make sure the back door is locked as well."

…

Outside, Dennis shone his police light around, checking first the garden, then up and down the road. When he was passing the neighbours, he suddenly saw movement. Lifting his torch, a man with a large, bushy beard confronted him.

"Hello, lovely evening!"

…

Half an hour later, Dennis knocked on the front door of his own house, unable to find the keys he thought were in his pocket. "It's only me."

Thomas opened the door and glanced out before opening it fully to allow his uncle to enter. "Did you find him?"

Dennis locked the door behind them and offered a distracted reply. "I thought I told you police always find their man?"

As Thomas smiled, Alison entered with worry etched on her brow. "Was it-"

"No." Unwilling to say anymore in front of the boy, Dennis added, "Why don't you go up and get ready for bed, Thomas."

Happy to be staying the night, he grinned and rushed upstairs as Dennis pulled out a chair and sat opposite Alison. "Where's Jenny?"

His sister motioned towards the lounge room. "She's feeding Sarah. Are you sure it wasn't him?"

"It wasn't, but the man Jenny saw said another man approached him earlier and asked him to do it. Apparently this man gave him five pounds to try and frighten someone at this address. He won't say what the man looked like, but Bradley has taken him to the station to see if he can get anything else out of him."

Alison rubbed her arms, suddenly cold. "…Why would someone do that?"

Dennis gave a frustrated shrug. Just when his life was settling, something always had to come up. "Probably to alert us to the fact he's back, or he's watching."

Unable to sit still, Alison stood to put on the kettle. "What do you think he's going to do?"

Dennis sighed, suddenly exhausted. "I don't know. Nothing, I'd imagine. He's just trying to get his power felt. You and Thomas should probably stay here for a few days while I make enquiries. I'll take you tomorrow to pick up some things."

"You don't think Jenny with mind?"

Dennis gave a slight smile. "I'm not sure Jenny would mind anything at the moment that doesn't involve cakes and endless tea making."

"I heard that." Jenny offered quietly as she entered with a sleeping baby in her arms.

"If you don't want us to, Jen, I-" Alison began, but Jenny shook her head.

"It's fine. In fact, I could do with the help since your brother is using his time off to woo half the women in Ashfordly."

This brightened Alison's mood and she smiled. "I heard about that. I bumped into the head of the W.I. today who had heard you were diabetic and had organised a little group to make you some special cakes."

Dennis sunk a little into his chair. "Oh, great."


	6. Chapter 6

Dennis barely slept that night as worst-case scenarios ran through his head, and he only got to sleep as the sun rose. When he woke he was alone and could immediately tell he was going to be in a bad mood.

Aware he'd have to go into work to find where Jack was, Dennis rose reluctantly and pulled his work clothes from the closet. He dressed slowly, and then made his way downstairs, hoping that every one had left for the morning. He had no such luck, as when he entered the kitchen he found his sister and nephew sat at the table.

"Uncle Dennis?" Thomas looked up from his bowl with a little cereal and what looked like at least half a bottle of milk

"Mmm?" Dennis poured himself a mug of coffee, then frowned at the empty milk bottle.

"Could you walk me to school today? Or maybe pick me up?"

Dennis took a sip of his drink and grimaced at the bitterness. "Not today, I have a lot to do."

Jealous of the way he'd seen his uncle treat Sarah, Thomas said sharply "I bet you'd take Sarah if she was going to school."

Alison cringed when she saw Dennis about to snap, but before he could speak, Jenny entered with 2 more bottles of milk. She took in Dennis in his uniform and glanced at his face, then at Thomas', before she put the milk on the table. "…Apparently the milk man crashed his van on the way here, so I've borrowed some from the neighbours."

Dennis watched with a frown as Thomas poured even more milk into his almost overflowing bowl before the scot banged his coffee cup down. "I'm going to work."

Alison and Jenny exchanged glances as Dennis stomped from the room, and a moment later, Jenny followed him as he pulled on his coat. "Dennis?"

"What?" The word came out sharper than he'd meant it to, and Jenny lowered her head for a moment before replying.

"You know, I'm getting really sick of being on the receiving end of your temper, Dennis, and having to sort out all the problems it causes! You might as well just go back to work full time, it would make a lot less work for me."

"Jenny…" Dennis called after her, but she disappeared up the stairs.

…

Dennis had been at work a couple of hours when Alf knocked on his office door. "I know you said not to disturb you because you're not officially here, Sarge, but your sister is asking to see you."

Dennis let out a long sigh before he replied, "Let her in."

Alison rushed in as Dennis rubbed his temple, trying to halt the beginning of a headache.

"Have you found anything out yet?"

"Hello, Dennis! How are you? I'm sorry my son drank all your milk this morning."

Alison sat down opposite him. "Sorry. I'm just worried."

Dennis gave another sigh before pushing the paper he'd been reading across to her. "He's working in Leeds, but at the moment he's on a months holiday, and no one there knows where he's gone."

Alison read what he'd found, then stood and began pacing. "Oh, great. What are we supposed to do now, then?"

As Alison verbalised all the worse case scenarios he'd been thinking of all night, Ventress knocked on the door once more and began speaking. As he did, the phone on the desk began to ring. After a few seconds of noise, Dennis stood and walked from the room, slamming the door behind himself.

…

Dennis considered calling out to find Jenny when he arrived home but quickly thought better of it. Instead, he first checked the lounge, then the bedroom, then the nursery, but found them all empty. As worry began to creep into his mind, he happened to glance out the window and saw Jenny and Sarah sat outside on a blanket.

…

"Nice day."

Jenny looked up and squinted against the glare of the sun. She nodded when she saw Dennis stood over her, and then looked back down at her book.

Careful not to disturb the sleeping baby, Dennis sat gently on the blanket and gazed out at the view as they sat in silence. He'd been there for almost half an hour before he finally spoke.

"I'm sorry, Jen. I just have this…idea of what our life should be like, and sometimes it is like that, but then other people always seem to appear and ruin things."

"Other people tend to happen in life."

"Aye, I know, and I wish they didn't. I would give anything to just have a quiet, normal week with you."

"But you can't keep taking it out on other people, Dennis. Right now, I feel you need someone to follow you around apologising, because you seem to go from 0 to 100 in a second and no one knows how to behave around you anymore. Including me."

Dennis studied the horizon for a short while, and then asked, "If I try and curb my temper, will you try to not get sick again?"

At this Jenny smiled, and then leant across to kiss him gently on the cheek. "Deal."

Dennis pulled her close so she rested against him, and then wrapped his arms around her. "When you were sick, I spent so much time thinking about you and what you were doing and if you were ok that I felt like I could think of nothing else. So I tried to go out after work, but then I'd just feel guilty and remember having been wherever I went with you, and then when I got home I'd be cross with you because you were still feeling bad and hadn't told me."

Jenny smiled, unused to him talking so much about how he felt. "Well how about I promise to tell you if I'm not feeling ok as well?"

"Aye, but that's 2 promises for you and only one for me, not very fair."

"…You could try talking to me about what's going on in your head? Maybe it will stop you getting so worked up."

Dennis kissed the top of her head, and then buried his face in her neck. "Deal."

…

When Alison arrived to pick up Thomas that afternoon, she found Dennis already waiting there with an apologetic smile. "He's only got one more week of leave owing, so you can stay with me until I hear he's back at work. I also have someone in Leeds who will tell me what his schedule is, that way next time he has leave, we will know in advance."

When Alison merely nodded and gave no reply, Dennis added, "And I've book the weekend off just before Thomas' birthday. I thought we could go camping together and I could…well, he could teach me how to fish."

At this, Alison smiled. "I think he'd love that."


	7. Chapter 7

That evening after Thomas had gone to bed Mike had joined them to discuss what should, and could, be done. Only a few minutes into the conversation, Dennis was pacing. Jenny watched him, and when he finally glanced at her, she raised her eyebrows. Giving a half smile, Dennis sat on the edge of her chair instead.

"Do you think he's actually going to do anything, Sarge? I mean, if he came here when his leave started it means he's bee here for three weeks already, and all he's done is possibly send an old man to give you a fright."

Dennis glanced towards the kitchen where Alison was once more making herself busy. "I don't know. I've reason to believe he was violent before, but she refuses to talk about it so I can't say for sure."

"And none of you think you've seen him around recently?"

Jenny shook her head, but then remembered an incident she'd never mentioned. She glanced up at Dennis before saying, "The doctor told me that about two and a half weeks ago a man he didn't recognise visited Sarah. He told the nurse he was her uncle."

Dennis suppressed the urge to yell at her for not telling him and was glad he hadn't when she dropped a gentle kiss to the back of his hand as Mike asked for the nurses' details. "I'll show her the photo we have, just to see, but I'm sure it's nothing, Sarge."

"Mmm."

"In the mean time, I've spoken to Oscar and he's going to keep an eye out at the pub, and I'll keep an eye on Alison's house, then I suppose all we can really do is make sure, at least for the next week, that Thomas isn't alone. We can't do a lot else unless he makes the first move."

Dennis nodded and stood as Alison entered the room. "Supper's ready! Will you be staying, Mike?"

"Ah…no thanks. I'd better get on."

As Jenny saw him out, Alison turned to Dennis and was about to speak, but Dennis got in first. "I'm just going to check on the kids."

"...But dinner is ready, and-"

She watched him exit the kitchen with an exasperated sigh.

…

Outside the front of the house, Jenny gave Mike a teasing smile. "You know she fancies you rotten."

"That's exactly what you said about that friend of yours a few weeks ago, and look how that turned out."

"Oh, how was I supposed to know she'd bring her brother on a date."

"Not one brother, Jen. There were 5 of them, all glaring at me and asking me what my intentions were. I thought I was going to be murdered!"

...

In the nursery, Dennis picked up a wide awake Sarah and dropped a kiss to her head. "How come you always manage to look so happy, hmm? Do you think if I started crying every time I wanted something I'd be as chirpy as you?"

Sarah gave a babbled response followed by a grin that made him laugh. She'd just began doing both these things, and sometimes he felt like waking her up just to get a smile. "You're right. When I wake up tomorrow, I'll cry and see if anyone brings me a coffee."

Sarah kicked her legs and gave another gummy grin. Jenny watched them from the doorway for a few moments longer before going quietly downstairs.

…

When Dennis climbed into bed that evening, he expected an admonishment for how he'd disappeared without eating dinner to go for a walk, but was surprised that instead, Jenny gave him a kiss.

"What was that for?"

"Recognising that you were about to get steam coming out of your ears so you went for a walk instead."

"A freezing walk, I might add," Dennis smiled up at her.

"Do you need some warming up, then?" Jenny smiled down at him as she felt his hands wrap around her waist.

"Oh, definitely."

…


	8. Chapter 8

It was just after 2am when Dennis woke. Unsure what had woken him, he listened but could hear nothing. He studied Jenny's profile in the dark before deciding he should get up and check the house over.

His first stop was the nursery, where he found Sarah fast asleep, then the room Thomas used, but he too was fast asleep. He began to relax a little when he saw Alison asleep before he walked down the stairs. After checking both doors were locked, he was about to go back to bed when he noticed a box on the table. With a frown, he flicked the light on and found a box full of baby things, on top of which was a note.

 _Jenny,_

 _Heard about your baby and thought you might like Thomas' old things. Give my love to Alison._

Dennis was still staring at the note when he suddenly heard someone coming down the stairs. He grabbed the box and the note and pushed it into a draw just as Jenny entered, half asleep.

When she saw him, she gave a slight smile. "What are you doing down here?"

"Couldn't sleep. I didn't wake you, did I?"

Jenny shook her head and motioned to the stack of clean nappies on the table. Dennis handed one to her, then waited silently until he was sure she was upstairs before rushing to the phone.

He glanced at the clock before dialling Mike's number. After a few rings, Mike answered sleepily. "Aide-"

"Bradley, he's been in the house."

"…Are you sure, Sarge?"

"Very. There was a box of things on the kitchen table with a note."

"And you're sure no one else brought that in?"

"I was the last one to bed, and it wasn't there when I was last in the kitchen. He must have found a key, because I can't find anywhere else he got in."

Mike ribbed his face sleepily. "Right, should I come over?"

Dennis hesitated, now unsure why he had called the constable, aside from being able to share the worry, he supposed. "…I won't be able to change the locks until the morning, so perhaps if you came, we could have at least one of us awake until morning?"

"Ok. I'll be there as soon as I can."

….

Twenty minutes later, Dennis opened the door to Mike. "...I really appreciate this, Bradley."

Slightly embarrassed, Mike gave a shrug. "I owe you, Sarge. And Jenny. You go and get some sleep."

Dennis nodded. "Sarah will probably be up in a couple of hours, so I'll get up then and you can get some sleep."

Mike nodded, but as Dennis reached the stairs, "Sarge?"

The scot turned.

"…I have this. It was Tricia's. I thought…" he held out a baby blanket.

Dennis took it with a smile. "Thanks, Mike."

…

Jenny walked down sleepily the next morning and didn't process that Mike was asleep on the couch until she was half way through making a cup of tea. With a frown, she returned to the room to look down at him where he slept, covered in a blanket, empty coffee cups on the table.

She was about to wake him when Dennis walked in and ushered her from the room. Unwilling to show her the baby things or the note, when she asked what Mike was doing there, he said, "I've lost my front door key and the locksmith couldn't come until this morning. With Jack about, I didn't want to risk anything."

"…You don't think he'd come in here, do you?"

Dennis immediately shook his head and dropped a kiss to her forehead. "Not a chance."

…

Jenny had disappeared upstairs as soon as everyone was awake, and Dennis didn't blame her. He'd been planning on doing the same thing but got caught in the hallway. Now he was stood in the kitchen with a cup of coffee watching Mike, Alison and Thomas eat a full cooked breakfast.

"Maybe I could stay home today? If I saw what a locksmith does, maybe I'll decide I want to be one and then I can leave school to go to work?" Thomas asked hopefully.

Dennis smiled to himself as Alison replied, "I thought last week you wanted to be a gardener."

"I did, but then I remembered the plants make me sneeze. Mike, how come you and Aunty Jenny didn't get married?"

Mike looked up from his food, and then glanced at his sergeant before asking. "…What?"

"She wears a necklace that has your name written on the back of it, I read it when she took it off the other day."

"Well, I, ah…it was…" As Mike attempted an answer, Dennis put his cup down.

"Enough questions for this morning, Thomas. If you get your shoes on I'll walk you to school."

…

When they'd left, Alison stood. "Would you like anything else to eat, Mike?"

"No, thanks. This was the best breakfast I've had in a long time, but if I eat any more I'm not sure I could walk."

Alison laughed as she studied the side of his face. This was the first she'd heard of the necklace, but she had noticed Mike and Jenny disappearing together in the pub every so often.

"Sorry about Thomas. Dennis once told him that policemen ask a lot of questions, and ever since then we get cross questioned every couple of days."

Mike smiled and swallowed the last of his coffee. "It's fine."

"…So did you and Jenny date before her and Dennis started going out?"

Mike smiled to himself. He was about the only policeman in the area she hadn't dated. "Ah, no. I was seeing her best friend, Tricia, but she ah…passed away a couple of years ago, and I gave Jenny her necklace."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise."

"It's fine."

…

When Dennis arrived home a short while later, he found Mike and Alison sitting silently at the table and Jenny stood making a cup of tea with a slight smile. As soon as Mike saw him, he jumped to his feet, relieved. "I'd better go, Sarge. Did you find the locksmith?"

"Aye, he'll be here in an hour or so. Thanks, Bradley."

Mike nodded with a half smile and grabbed his hat, eager to rush out. He bid the women a quick farewell before making a hasty exit. Jenny caught Dennis' eye, and they shared an amused smile as Alison stood up with a sigh.


	9. Chapter 9

To Dennis' relief, the day was quite uneventful. When he walked to pick Thomas up that afternoon, he found himself whistling, for he's spent a quiet, peaceful day alone with Jenny and Sarah at last.

The peace wasn't to last, however, as when he and Thomas arrived at the top of their street, Alison rushed towards them looking panicked. "There's been a fire!"

"What? Where?" Dennis felt his heart begin to beat faster.

"At your house, I just got back and-" Alison stopped as Dennis rushed from her towards his house. When he arrived, he found firemen already there, the entrance blackened and much of the hallway gone.

His face paled as he went to push past them, but Mike grabbed his arm. "No one was home, Sarge. I dropped in to collect the things you asked me to and Jenny was just going out for a walk. I'd only been inside a minute or two when someone pushed something through the letterbox."

Dennis let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, Sarge."

Dennis nodded, and then another thought occurred to him. What if this was done to distract him so Jack could get to Alison and Thomas? Or Jenny and Sarah. "Did Jenny say where she was going?"

"To visit Liz, I think." The same thought occurred to Mike as he saw his sergeant frown. "I'll stay here with Alison and you go and find them."

Dennis nodded and raced away as Thomas sat on the wall with a sigh. "Can I wear your hat, Mike?"

…

"I've never seen someone look so uncomfortable. She just kept filling his plate every time he finished and then she'd sit and smile at him until he was done. When she gave him the last of the sausages, I thought he was going to be sick!"

Liz laughed as Jenny described the scene that morning at the Merton house. "She is a bit full on, isn't she?"

"I think if I was him I'd find her downright terrifying."

Liz looked down at Sarah in her arms with a smile. "Your mummy seems to have forgotten what she was like when she was trying to woo your daddy, but don't worry, because I remember everything, and as soon as you're old enough I will tell you all about it."

"Oh, I wasn't that bad! Was I?"

As Jenny began to look worried, there was a loud knocking on the door. With a laugh, Liz handed Sarah back to her mother. "Oh, you were much worse."

She opened the door with a smile, then stepped aside as a breathless Dennis entered. "Whatever's the matter, Dennis?"

He took a deep breath as Jenny stood with a concerned frown.

"Are you two alright, Jen?"

"We're fine, Dennis. What's happened?"

…

Dennis found himself staying at the police house that evening. Reluctant though he was to let Jack think he'd hounded him from his home, the house smelt terrible and the entrance would take days to fix. Luckily Mike had offered them somewhere to say straight away, and it seemed to have taken both Thomas and Alison's mind off what had happened.

Dennis himself, however, was worked up. Not only did he feel like his family was in danger, but he felt that he'd let them down. He hadn't voiced this thought, but Jenny knew as soon as he'd told her what had happened.

They were now all sat around the television watching a program Thomas had insisted on and everyone else seemed quite keen to watch as well, but Dennis couldn't focus.

Jenny watched him for a while as he nursed his whisky and gave the occasional sigh. When he began to jiggle his leg with agitation, she reached out to caress the back of his head, which usually went some way to calming him down.

Dennis turned to her with a slight smile, and Jenny smiled back before mouthing, 'I love you.'

Dennis smiled widened a little and he reached out to put a hand on her leg before he rested back against the couch and shut his eyes. As he felt himself beginning to relax a little, he knew straight away that Thomas would soon ask him a question. However, this time he was wrong, and he woke suddenly a few hours later, still sat on the couch. He was about to open his eyes when he heard Jenny give a laugh, still beside him. A small hand grabbed into his sleeve a moment later.

"No, you can't have your Daddy, he's asleep, and he needs as much sleep as he can get."

In Jenny's arms, Sarah gave a grizzle.

"I know, you're a daddy's girl, but you two spend long enough together without both of you waking each other up all the time. And don't think I don't know about the secret chats you two have!"

Sarah smiled up at her mother and Jenny gave a soft laugh. 'Oh I see, you two are trying to work out how to soften me up, are you? Well smiles always work."

…

Dennis, alone now, jumped up when he heard Mike enter through the police door. "Anything?"

"Nothing, Sarge. We found where he was staying, but the owner couldn't say for sure if he was there when the blaze happened, and none of the places nearby that sell the accelerant recognised him."

Dennis let out a heavy sigh. "…What do you think we should do?"

"I think it's Alison or you he wants to upset, Sarge. Perhaps you could send Jenny and the kids somewhere else until all this is resolved."

"Aye, I've already suggested that but Jenny refused. She's worried that he might follow them."

"Well now something has actively been done to a policeman's property, perhaps division will give us some extra man power? There's no need to tell them who we suspect."

"Good idea, Bradley. I'll phone them first thing in the morning."

….

Mike looked up when Jenny walked down the stairs a couple of hours later and gave him a smile. "Guarding the fort?"

"Something like that. The sarge looked done in so I thought I'd let him sleep a while."

"Well, he's asleep, but I don't know how restful it is, because he's tossing and turning so much he keeps almost falling out of bed. Do you want a cup of coffee?"

"Ah, yeah, thanks."

A few minutes later, Jenny put a cup of coffee and a sandwich down in front of him. "I really appreciate this, Mike. I know Dennis is your boss, but you've gone out of your way to help."

Mike smiled and picked up his drink. "You know I'd do anything for my god-daughter and my favourite blonde."

Jenny smiled and leant forward to kiss his cheek. "Flirt. Night."

On the stairs, Thomas watched wide-eyed. Wait until he told his mother what he'd seen.

….


	10. Chapter 10

The next morning, a Saturday, Thomas was unusually silent, thinking about what he'd seen the night before. He looked up at his Uncle and studied his profile, then his concern grew when Jenny entered and Dennis smiled at her. Maybe he didn't know what was going on, but Thomas was worried about being the one to tell him, because he knew Dennis had a temper.

"Is everything alright, Thomas?" Alison finally asked, having watched him play with his breakfast for half an hour.

Thomas just gave a shrug as he watched Jenny give Dennis a kiss on the cheek. The same sort of kiss she'd given Mike the night before.

…

Dennis was relieved when division agreed to send up more officers. If it wasn't Jack doing all this, they'd be able to find who was, and if it was him with any hope they'd find some evidence. If they didn't find anything, Dennis knew he was going to confront Jack about it when he showed up for work. Jack never missed work, Dennis knew that about him if nothing else.

"Uncle Dennis?"

The sergeant looked up as Thomas entered the police room with a frown.

"Are you alright?"

"…I'm not sure. There's something I think I should tell you, but…it might change everything, and I like how it is now."

Dennis' frown now matched his nephews, wondering if it was something to do with Jack, and half hoped, half feared that it was.

"Well, sometimes it's the right thing to tell people things, even if it changes something else."

Thomas looked down at his shoes and scuffed one against the floor. "I saw…you promise you won't get cross with me?"

"I promise."

"I saw Aunty Jenny doing something bad."

Dennis was silent for a moment before he asked, "What did-"

Mike rushing into the room interrupted him. "Sorry, Sarge, but Phil says he's just seen Jack a few streets away."

Dennis grabbed his coat. "We'll talk about it later, Thomas."

Thomas stared after his Uncle helplessly as he rushed from the house.

….

Next, Thomas tried his mother, who was currently darning some of Mike's socks. "Mum?"

"Mmm?" Alison glanced up at him, and then back down.

"Does Uncle Dennis love Aunty Jenny?"

"Of course he does." She answered; distracted by the thought of the kiss she'd almost shared with Mike that morning.

"And does Aunty Jenny love him?"

Alison glanced up again. "Why all the questions suddenly? Thomas, if you're worried that we're going to move again, you don't need to be. I know you like it here, so we will stay here for as long as both of us want to, no matter what happens."

Thomas sighed and nodded.

…

Finally, Thomas decided to look for Jenny and ask her. He found her sitting by a window reading.

"Aunty Jenny?"

She looked up from her book with a distracted smile. She'd just seen Dennis and Mike rush off together.

"Do you love Uncle Dennis?"

She frowned, noticing the concern on his face. "Yes. Why?"

"A lot?"

"Why is it suddenly so important? If you're worried that-"

"I saw you and Mike."

Jenny studied his face for a moment before asking "…And?"

"I saw you kiss him, and I don't want you to leave Uncle Dennis for Mike because I like how things are right now. And I know my mum likes Mike and I think he would make her happy and she needs to be happy." All his worries came flooding out all at once and tears threatening to spill.

Jenny suppressed a smile and pulled Thomas close to hug him tightly as his tears fell. "Mike and I are just friends. Someone we both loved very much died, and sometimes we like to talk about her and remember. As for your Uncle Dennis… I love him more than anything, even with his temper and even when he steals my cups of coffee."

This made Thomas smile, for he'd witnessed their arguments over coffee many times before.

Jenny tilted his head back and wiped away his tears. "So you don't need to worry about anything changing. Even if it did, everyone would still love you just as much, I promise."

As Thomas nodded, the doorway darkened. "I hope that's no son of mine crying over something silly."

Jenny looked up and her face paled. Jack. Holding Sarah.


	11. Chapter 11

Thomas ran to Jack and hugged his legs, leaving Jenny confused. She'd thought for some reason he wouldn't remember him. Alison had told her he was only 2 the last time he'd seen his father.

"Daddy!"

"How are you, son? Getting along with your cousin?"

Thomas nodded enthusiastically as Jenny stepped forward. "Perhaps I should take her, she'll be due for a feed soon."

Jack turned a little so she couldn't reach the baby.

"Did you get my last letter, Daddy?"

"I did. Your writing is coming along very nicely. "

"You've been writing to him?" Jenny asked Thomas as she stepped forward again. Sarah began to squirm in Jack's arms.

…

Unable to find Jack, Dennis and Mike had settled on talking to the shopkeepers about what he had purchased and how he had seemed. Now back at the police house, Dennis pushed open the front door and was greeted by the noise of Sarah crying upstairs and the sight of Alison sitting groggily on the floor in front of the couch.

"Alison, what's happened?!"

She touched the back of her head gingerly. "...Someone hit me."

As Mike approached her, Dennis raced up the stairs and began going room to room. "Jenny?! Thomas?!"

He found only Sarah, alone in the middle of her parents bed with a face red from crying. Picking her up, he held her close and attempted to calm her as his own heart raced.

"Are they here, Sarge?" Mike rushed into the room.

Dennis gave no reply, his eyes focused on the bloodstain on the floor.

…

"Sarge. Sarge! DENNIS!" Mike rushed after the scot several minutes later and managed to grab him just as he reached the car.

"I know where he's taken them, I need to go!" Dennis fought him off. This was all his fault. He should have dealt with Jack earlier rather than assuming he would cause no more trouble.

"And what help would you be to them in this mood, Sarge? I've been on the radio, and everyone is in their cars waiting for you to give them some information on where to go."

Dennis gave a reluctant nod.

…

In the back of the car, Thomas began to cry. When he'd first received a letter from his father, he'd been so happy. He had written to him for months, telling him all about his life. His father had assured him that he would smooth things over with Alison and come and live with them again, and then Thomas would be part of a real family, like Sarah was.

Jenny reached out and pulled Thomas close as she saw him wipe his tears away. Glancing at the back of Jack's head as he sped along a road she didn't recognise, she asked quietly, "Where are you taking us Jack? And what good do you think is going to come out of it?"

"You know, all I planned was to make you all a little scared, then I was going to come in and save the day and show Alison what she was missing. Except your husband couldn't leave things alone, and all his questions have led to me being suspended without pay for the foreseeable future, so now I'm going to make him pay. "

"I'm sorry, Jenny!" Thomas held onto her tightly.

Jenny dropped a kiss to his head. "It's ok. It's not your fault."

…

"And you're sure, Sarge?"

"Of course I'm sure! We used to go there as lads. It's me he's got an issue with, so it's me he's trying to get to, which means he'll go somewhere he knows I remember!" Dennis began to pace, and when he caught sight of a photo of Tricia and Jenny on the mantelpiece, he became even more agitated.

When the scot pointed out what looked like an empty space on the moors, Mike told those on the radio where to go. He was half way through his explanation when his sergeant was once more racing out the door.

Mike turned to find Blaketon behind him. "You go, Mike. I'll finish up here and then stay by the radio."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you suggesting I don't know my way around a police radio, Bradley?!"

Mike gave a half smile, then grabbed his coat and went after Dennis.


	12. Chapter 12

They'd been in the shed for almost an hour now, and Thomas could feel the cold beginning to take hold, making him shiver. He felt he'd cried all the tears he had now, and all it had seemed to do was make his father angrier. Balling all his courage, Thomas managed to say "Maybe you and I could go somewhere together, Dad. We could just leave Aunty Jenny here and go and catch a ferry or something? My friend Peter goes to France sometimes, and-"

"Shut it, Thomas. I'm thinking." Jack hadn't planned what to do next. When he'd taken leave after his last girlfriend had left him, all he'd planned to do was frighten Alison. In the past, when she was frightened, even by him, she would cling to him, and he thought if she was scared enough and he swooped in to save the day, she would come back to him. However, he hadn't counted on the change in Dennis. Before, he'd had a temper, and whenever he got angry he made bad decisions, but now he seemed calm and went about doing exactly what Jack would have done in his place.

"Dad, Aunty Jenny has been really sick, and I don't think it's good for her to be out in the cold like this."

"Didn't I tell you to shut it?!"

As his father yelled, Thomas shrunk back into Jenny's arms, where she tightened her grip. "I'm fine, Thomas. Just sit quietly for a little while, alright?"

…

Mike rushed rather breathlessly behind his sergeant as he walked determined across the moors. They'd driven as far as they could, and now the two of them, along with several other officers, would need to make their way on foot.

"Do you think he'll have a weapon?"

Dennis glanced towards the constable and shook his head. "He never has before, he just uses his fists."

…

They'd been walking almost fifteen minutes when Mike suddenly grabbed Dennis' arm and pointed to a small figure racing towards them from a distance. Slowly, Thomas came into view, and when he reached them he collapsed breathlessly in his uncle's arms, apologising profusely.

"I didn't know! I just wanted to have proper family! I'm sorry! Is mum alright?"

"She's fine. Where's your father? What happened?"

Thomas buried his face in his Uncle's jacket. "He told me to leave. He said I asked too many questions and he couldn't think. I didn't want to, but Aunty Jenny said I had to, she said just run as fast as I could the way we came."

Mike took off his coat and wrapped it around the shaking boys shoulders. "You did exactly the right thing. Now what I need you to do is tell me where he took you and what he said he was going to do."

"It was just a shed, it's down there somewhere." He pointed, glancing anxiously at his Uncle to see if he looked angry. "He didn't know what he was going to do, he said. He just wanted to upset Uncle Dennis. You're not angry with me, are you?"

When Dennis gave no reply, Mike attempted to reassure the boy. "No one is angry with you. Was it just your dad, no one else?"

"Just him. He said in his letters-"

"You've been writing to him?!" Dennis yelled, making Thomas flinch.

Mike quickly turned him away. "You remember Phil? He'll take you back to the car and get you warmed up. We're just going to find your Aunty Jenny, and then I bet we will we back at my place in time to watch Doctor Who."

This made Thomas smile, and he gave a nod.

…

"There's no point to this, Jack! We're out in the middle of nowhere, and assuming Dennis does remember where this place is, he will just come with a large group of officers, and resisting them will just get you in even more trouble!"

"Don't you think I know that? I hadn't thought about it happening like this! I was just going to come in and drop off something to make Dennis think it wasn't me scaring everyone, but I saw Alison mooning over a photo of some man, and then Thomas had to go and get a nose bleed, so I thought good- Let Dennis find his sister, let him see the blood, and then let him feel the way I have for years, not knowing where my family is or how they are."

Jenny was beginning to shiver now, for the light jumper she'd been wearing was no match for the cold wind. "Why don't you just run, then? Leave me here and go, like Thomas said. If you got a good enough head start, no one will find you."

"And then I suppose you think I'd not come back? I need to know how my family are, surely you understand that."

"What I understand is that when you had them with you, you treated them both terribly. You can't expect them to want anything to do with you after that."

"Thomas did."

"Because he's a boy who wants a father like all his friends!" Jenny began to feel light headed and rested against the wall.

Jack was silent for a moment, and then seemed to come to a conclusion. Nodding to himself, he picked up an old chain that lay on the floor and turned to Jenny, but he found her slumped against the wall, unconscious.


	13. Chapter 13

They'd only been walking a few more minutes when Mike grabbed Dennis' arm once more and pointed silently to a figure in front of them making his way up the hill.

Feeling he was being watched, Jack looked up and locked eyes with Dennis. They both stood still for several seconds before Jack turned and began running from them. As soon as he turned Mike, Dennis and several other policemen were on his tail

At the bottom of the hill, a dirt path led towards an old building. Mike was first to see it and pointed it out to his sergeant. "You go. We'll catch him, sarge."

Dennis ran towards the shed, calling Jenny's name. Pushing in the door, he was about to say her name again when he saw her, still slumped against the wall.

He stared at her for several seconds, fearing to go closer because she looked so pale, but another officer entering kicked him into gear and he moved towards her. When he sank to the floor to pull her close, he found her freezing, but to his relief, she frowned a little and held weakly onto his jacket.

…

Two hours later, Liz approached a pacing Dennis with a mug of tea. She'd just heard from Mike how it had taken them almost twenty minutes walk to reach the shed, but somehow Dennis, with Jenny in his arms, had made it back to the car in ten.

When Dennis saw the doctor, he ignored the offered tea. "How is she? What happened?"

"Well, as you know we were still treating her for an infection, and she's supposed to take medication four times a day, but she missed two doses while she was…while she was away from home, and along with the cold temperatures and the amount of walking she was forced to do, the infection knocked her out again. But now she's here she will be fine. We're just trying to warm her up at the moment, but you can go through."

Dennis offered distracted thanks and went to go through when Liz called his name again.

"Perhaps you should try and calm yourself a little before you go through?"

Dennis ran a hand through his hair before he nodded. "Can you tell her everyone is alright?"

Liz nodded before handing him the mug of tea.

…

"How is she?" Alison rushed into the hallway, closely followed by Thomas.

Dennis glanced up, and then looked back at his tea. "I haven't seen her yet, but the doctor says she'll be fine. Have you seen someone about your head?"

Alison nodded and sat next to him. "I'll just have a bit of a headache for a while. How are you? I heard what you did."

Dennis gave no reply to her question, but instead asked, "Has Thomas told you what he did?"

Alison sighed and looked up to where Thomas was hesitating just in sight. "He's really sorry, Dennis. Thomas didn't know what Jack was like, he just wanted his father. If anyone is to blame it's me, I should have spoken to him about what happened when he was younger."

"Aye, well perhaps it's my fault for coming to find you in the first place. If I hadn't, Jenny would be ok."

"..I'm going to pretend you didn't say that because we've all had a tough day. Mike is going to take Thomas and I home now. Would you like me to look after Sarah?"

"She's fine with Gina."

Alison studied the side of Dennis' face, and then nodded. "Well, I'm sorry Dennis. Give Jenny my love."

When he heard Alison and Thomas leave, Dennis gave a sigh and after a few seconds threw his mug of tea at the wall.


	14. Chapter 14

Dennis smiled and sat up a little straighter when Jenny's eyelids flickered. Taking her hand, he held it tightly. "Hello, sleepyhead."

Jenny smiled and slowly opened her eyes. "I still feel like I could sleep for a week."

"Well you can, if you like. When I called your mother to tell her what happened she insisted on coming down and has taken over our house, our daughter, and for some strange reason next doors cat."

Jenny groaned and shut her eyes. "Will we ever get time to ourselves, do you think?"

Dennis dropped a kiss to her hand. "We've got all the time in the world to spend together."

Jenny nodded and her eyes flickered shut again.

When Dennis thought she'd fallen back asleep, she suddenly said, "I hope you're going to apologise to Alison."

Dennis frowned. It had only been an hour since he'd spoken, rather harshly, to his sister. "You've spoken to her?"

A ghost of a smile pulled at Jenny's lips. "No. But I know you."

Dennis lowered his head and gave a sigh. "I will. Go back to sleep, I'll stay here."

The scot dropped a kiss to his wife's head and stroked the damp hair from her face. When the doctor next came to check on her, Liz found Dennis with his head resting on the bed, fast asleep.

…

"Uncle Dennis, do you think mum will have done a roast for dinner?"

It was four months since Jack had been sent to prison and it was two days until Thomas' birthday. As promised, Dennis had taken him on a camping trip, and it seemed to have gone some way to mending their relationship.

Now, they were pulling up outside Alison's house. Dennis was still working on mending that relationship.

Leaving his uncle to carry everything inside, Thomas rushed inside. He was hoping there was a party waiting for him. "Mum! Aunty Jenny! I'm home!"

His face lit up when he saw his best friend Peter and several other friends from school, who all cried, "Happy Birthday Thomas!" He was torn between running to the table full of his favourite foods and the table that groaned under the weight of his presents.

...

When Dennis entered the front door with their things, Jenny was there to greet him, but wrinkled her nose. "I take it you caught some fish, then?"

"Well lovely to see you too, Jen. Hug?" As he approached with open arms and a grin, there was the noise of small feet rushing towards them, and a second later a grinning Sarah appeared in the doorway wearing her party dress.

"Daddy!"

When Dennis bent to catch her, she stopped and wrinkled her nose exactly as Jenny had just done. "Daddy stinky!"


End file.
